Chelsea (H) | PL | Post Match Thread

If the experts on the forum were told that we were going to win vs Ipswich and Chelsea with Gundogan starting both games and a result of 9:1, they would have found that absurd. Yet they think they know better than Pep (that, say, academy players are the better option).

Even at 34 Gundo is a better CM than KDB. Playing all of Kova, Bernie and Gundo was the right decision, as we are a bit too open and attacking when KDB, Foden and Savinho start. Yes, we need new midfielders, younger and more physical, but Gundo and Bernie were the best choice vs Chelsea and they delivered.
 
alexmcity said:
If the experts on the forum were told that we were going to win vs Ipswich and Chelsea with Gundogan starting both games and a result of 9:1, they would have found that absurd. Yet they think they know better than Pep (that, say, academy players are the better option).

Even at 34 Gundo is a better CM than KDB. Playing all of Kova, Bernie and Gundo was the right decision, as we are a bit too open and attacking when KDB, Foden and Savinho start. Yes, we need new midfielders, younger and more physical, but Gundo and Bernie were the best choice vs Chelsea and they delivered.
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Tbf Gundo set up the first goal, and credit to Nunes with a perfectly timed run. But it doesn't follow that we won 9:1 because of Gundo. There are still countless times he's pirouetting into trouble. He's a zero defensively because of his speed. If you replace him with any other player do we still win 9:1? We'll never know, but that's what the forum is for. However, he's turning up every week and this season that's a fair return.
 
eastmanc said:
Reminded me, a little bit, of his performance against Liverpool when we beat them 2-1 2019.
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It's good to see he's still capable of it

I haven't really seem him like that since the treble season and I've never felt the issue was really physical, but ive thought he's lacked the drive and mentality he used to have.

If he gets that back, it'll be like a new signing, as the old cliché goes.
 
madloaf said:
Tbf Gundo set up the first goal, and credit to Nunes with a perfectly timed run. But it doesn't follow that we won 9:1 because of Gundo. There are still countless times he's pirouetting into trouble. He's a zero defensively because of his speed. If you replace him with any other player do we still win 9:1? We'll never know, but that's what the forum is for. However, he's turning up every week and this season that's a fair return.
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Of course, Gundo wasn't *the* reason we won convincingly both games. But he was good in both games, especially at Ipswich.

There's a lot more to playing well in a Pep system than running and tackling. Gundo knows what he should do. Sadly, he is past his best. We need new players. But the guy is giving everything and was starting 3 games in a week due to injuries. He's a third choice at 6 and maybe a 3rd choice at 8, but the injury crisis forced Pep to play him every game.
 
MMA said:
Fuckin rat who thinks he's a politician up starmers arse..

We are not paying for your new ground you rag **** and starmer can get fucked.

Panicking because khaldoon knows what's what..
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He's about as welcome in Valencia as the black death. Wonder why no one ever mentions this to him when he's dishing out the shit - even when he's larking about with his mates Carra, Keane and Micah ?
 
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Crooked_rain said:
Great win

Khusanov had a nightmare start but composed himself. Plenty of players in football have committed a howler on a debut and gone on to show they were good players. Pretty much every defender is capable of a howler like that, it's just happened on his debut, that's all.

Marmoush looks lively. I can see him being a very good signing buy let's see.

Very good play from big Erl but it showed the reason why it's almost impossible to find a team to play a high line against us and give him space to run into. It's almost impossible to defend against him in that situation
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Lest hope Khusanov is the reverse of Mangala who had a sterling debut against the Chavs and subsequently turned into Alan Kernaghan. Felt for the lad yesterday, I'm sure it was just nerves that got the better of him, fingers crossed.
 
KS55 said:
When the rebuild is complete, Pep will probably revert to his previous style. That’s a shame, I like this faster tempo and less sideways passing.
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Horses for courses. As Pep said, teams no longer fear coming to the Etihad & the better teams have been coming at us & exploiting our lack of physicality which has opened up many recent games.

This is a far cry from previous seasons where very few visiting teams would venture much beyond their 18 yard box, which created congestion, hence us playing with inverted FB's to overload central areas. It's pointless having 4 defenders stood on the halfway line marking themselves.

Chelsea went further & marked us man for man with a very high press. This is where Ederson came into his own playing long out-balls to Haaland to beat the press, leaving Chelsea defensively exposed.

If we continue showing greater energy, it'll give the opposition more to think about & imo, they'll go back to regressing around their penalty area.

Yesterday yet again highlighted the missing control & physicality Rodri brings us in midfield, & Stones highlighted the missing control we had around our defence. We desperately need a replacement for Rodders, a raiding overlapping right back & left back & hope that Khusanov & Reis fortify our CB options.

With Moose in attack & Bobb & Echeverri to come, we're suddenly seeing the pieces fall into place, & we can tell how much of a different proposition we'll be from the City of the first half of the season.
 
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After the shakey first 10 minutes we played really well and throughly deserved the win.

And we are now safe, assuming we don’t get docked points after the PL 115 hearing…. ! :-)
 
Suckered by Erling. He was quiet in the first half and Colwill and Chaba whatever though they were in for a quiet day.
Wrong - now both are Erlings bitches.
 
Crooked_rain said:
It's good to see he's still capable of it

I haven't really seem him like that since the treble season and I've never felt the issue was really physical, but ive thought he's lacked the drive and mentality he used to have.

If he gets that back, it'll be like a new signing, as the old cliché goes.
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I think Bernardo being Captain & the renewed optimism around the rebuild gave everyone a real lift. The crowd felt it. The team felt it. Bernardo ensured he knitted the crowd & team together with a captain's performance, leading by example.

It's a long time since I've seen a City captain so vocally, emotionally & physically demonstrative. On the pitch, yesterday's performance & win was down to Bernie.
 
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eastmanc said:
Please don't say citeh.
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I’m taking the piss used to hate the use of the word even better to prefix with lickle
I’ve found throwing this back plays with rags minds and very quickly they lose it
Self deprivation gallows humour totally confuses them
I alternate between being self acclaimed “lickle” and when the moods suits “massive”
Depending how bad their piss is boiling

Love from The Bitter Bertie
 
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Bluekiwi said:
I have just watched their goal a few times and yes, it was an awful header back to Eddie, but Akanji, as the senior player knowing that the lad was nervous as hell, should have shouted "mine, or whatever lingo the lad can understand" and hoofed it out of harm's way.
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That’s what I was thinking if Dias is there that error doesn’t happen. Poor kid doesn’t know English and has just been thrown in against Chelsea. He’s nervous probably, needed a bit of leadership in the defence. Some hand holding
 
Mike S said:
After the shakey first 10 minutes we played really well and throughly deserved the win.

And we are now safe, assuming we don’t get docked points after the PL 115 hearing…. ! :-)
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The verdict is expected in March, let's say there's 10 games to go, they'll dock us 31 points.
 
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